


Too Good to Keep Secret

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: M/M, Prompt Fill, Secret Relationship, annoying buchanan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-07 23:12:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14091783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: A couple of moments in Sonny and Rafael's relationship before they disclose, and a moment after, when they've chosen not to disclose to a select third party.





	Too Good to Keep Secret

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Java_Genie for doing the beta!

Sonny sighs when he catches Rollins staring at him for the third time that morning. "Okay. What is it? I got a coffee mustache you're not telling me about?"

Rollins grins, completely unashamed in having made him ask what her deal was. "Nah. I was just wondering why the hell you're in a tie that's completely not your color."

Sonny glances down at his tie and is very glad he has an excellent poker face. Because Rollins is right. The tie is _completely_ not his color. It's Easter yellow with small, white polka dots. He'd packed a deep green tie for staying over at Rafael's for the first time. He'd laid it out on the dresser right next to the one he's wearing now. It should have been an easy thing to grab the right one on his way out the door, but he'd ended up running late because Rafael apparently loved having slow, sleepy morning sex, and Sonny couldn't have said no if the bed was on fire. 

He'd dressed in a hurry and grabbed the tie on the right when his was on the left. 

"You think it looks bad?" Sonny asks, figuring out a cover on the fly. "I thought it looked nice when I saw it."

"Oh, bullshit," Rollins replies. "You know what colors make you look bad. No way you picked that thing out on your own." 

"Which part of his suit are we mocking today?" Rafael asks as he walks up to their desks. He gives Sonny a quick once-over, and Sonny is sure he's the only one who catches the miniscule pause Rafael has at spotting his tie. 

"The yellow's all wrong for him," Rollins says. "Back me up here, Barba. You're a man who knows how to work a color palette."

Sonny gives Rafael a once-over as well, using the conversation as an excuse to enjoy the view. Rafael's in a navy suit and cream shirt with a deep purple pocket square and--Sonny is not surprised to see--Sonny's own dark green tie around his neck. He has to swallow back a smile. 

"It's terrible for him," Rafael agrees. "Although, I do like the look of it."

Rollins stares at the tie. Sonny fights not to squirm. "Yeah," she says slowly. "It does seem sorta you, Counselor."

"You'll have to let me know where you got it," Rafael says, then turns with a nod and walks to Olivia's office. 

Rollins goes back to her paperwork, and Sonny considers what sort of revenge is appropriate for Rafael not-quite outing them while still getting the chance to be a little shit. 

*

Liv walks into Rafael's office two days later and pauses, lifting her chin as she breathes in. "What smells so good?"

Rafael lifts the plastic container he's currently stirring with a spoon. "Italian Wedding Soup. Want some? There's plenty."

"Please," Liv says. She crosses the room as Rafael gets up and grabs a clean coffee mug from next to his machine. He carefully pours the soup into the mug, then passes it to Liv. She passes him the file she'd brought over. "Bachman," she says. 

Rafael flips through the file, looking at the new information. "You say you found him on security cameras, but it's blurry. Defense can easily tear that one down."

"It's blurry, but you can see his coat. It's distinctive."

Rafael takes a bite of soup. He sees Liv sip from her mug from the corner of his eye. "And how many of these 'distinctive' coats have been sold in Manhattan alone?"

"Not as many as you think. It's $4,000." 

Rafael looks up at that. "Really? For this?" He holds up the file so she can see the blurry shot he's examining. The coat is houndstooth check with two wide, white stripes printed with dog faces. "This is an art project run amok."

"Oh, come on, you love it a little," Liv says. 

Rafael tries to look appalled, but he can't hold it. "Not for me, but I could see someone else pulling it off."

"Someone I know?" Liv asks. She lifts her mug in question. "Someone who makes you soup?"

Rafael leans back and throws his feet on his desk. "What a fascinating leap, Liv."

She chuckles and sips more of her soup. "Look, I'm no cook, but the whole squad's been living off Carisi's cooking for a couple of years now. He's lectured us on correct Italian Wedding Soup probably half a dozen times. I know it when I taste it. Even the Italian deli near me doesn't make it this good."

Rafael stirs his soup again, then takes another bite. Sonny had made a huge pot of it last night, then asked him--so shyly but so brightly hopeful--if he was ready to disclose. They're coming up on four months, and Rafael can see the future spooling out before them. He'd said yes, and they'd picked a date. Two days from now. And then Sonny has given him a key to his place, and Rafael had tumbled out, "I love you. Jesus Christ," without thinking. Sonny had laughed and kissed him and said it back, and Rafael's urge to apologize for saying it so badly the first time evaporated into the warmth of Sonny's hug. 

"It's Carisi's," Rafael admits because there's no way around it. "He needed a favor, so he bribed me." It's technically true and untrue, and Rafael knows Liv will absolutely harass him into the ground after she sees the disclosure forms. The idea makes him smile, the excitement of taking the next step and the fact he knows Liv will support them too much to keep bottled up.

"Must have been a big favor," Liv replies. "He can usually get you agree with a dessert."

"He can get any of us to agree with a dessert," Rafael replies, and Liv laughs at the truth of it. 

"What was the favor?"

"Help with some forms he needed double-checked." Again, it's true but untrue. "You'll see them in a couple of days."

Liv hums in interest. "Just tell me it's not a transfer."

Rafael chuckles. "No, nothing like that. He's staying put."

"That's all I need to know until I see the forms, then," Liv replies. There's a sharp look in her eyes, like she already knows what the forms are, but she doesn't say anything more, just finishes her soup and leaves Rafael to his work with a warm goodbye. 

*

Two days after their six-month anniversary, Liv, Rollins, and Fin bully Rafael and Sonny out to Forlini's to celebrate. "I'm not sure this is professionally allowed," Rafael says to Sonny.

"Like they give a fuck," Sonny replies, and Rafael has to laugh in agreement. 

"I still can't believe it," Rollins says to Fin, _sotto_ voice, "Barba's been smiling for a whole five minutes."

"Guys who are new to it always over do it," Fin replies.

"He's always smiled plenty for me," Sonny says, and Rafael groans into his drink. 

"We're so happy for you two," Liv says. She holds up her wine glass. "To the next six months."

"Are we dating on an installment plan?" Rafael asks.

"We're just being realistic," Rollins replies. "Between him," she points at Sonny, "always getting into trouble, and you," she points to Rafael, "handing out your goddamn home address--"

"I have apologized for that several--"

"No one cares," Rollins interrupts. "You can't undo it."

"You can, actually," Sonny says. He looks at Rafael with his eyebrows up. Rafael nods to show it's okay. "Um, Rafael and I--"

"Mr. Barba!" 

Everyone at the table freezes at that booming voice. Fin's the one who spots Buchanan first. He'd come in the side door, which was behind their table. "Does he know?" Fin asks. "Because he's moving quick."

"Of course he doesn't fucking know," Rafael replies. "Why would I tell him anything positive?"

Sonny slides a few inches away from Rafael, his hand coming off Rafael's knee at the same time. Buchanan rounds the table just as he finishes, and he doesn't pick up on the quick, silent conversation that goes around the table. 

"John," Rafael greets as cold as he can. "I can't believe they let you in here."

"I have money, the same as anyone else," Buchanan replies with a shark smile. 

"Yeah, but no one here likes how you make it," Sonny says. 

Buchanan stares at him. "Detective Carisi. How lovely to see you."

"Bullshit," Sonny says, and Rollins has to hide a laugh behind her hand. 

"I'm off the clock, John. As I'm sure you know. Make it brief."

Buchanan reaches into his suit jacket and pulls out a blue envelope. "Motion to dismiss the video footage of Bachman."

Fin takes the envelope before Buchanan can reach across the table and hand it to Rafael.

"Thank you," Rafael says when Fin holds it out. "We wouldn't want John to think he's welcome."

"Oh, I've no allusions."

"No comment," Liv says, and this time it's Sonny who has to hide a laugh. 

Rafael reviews the motion. "Dismissing because the coat is owned by more than one person?"

"You can't make out his face. The coat is the only thing truly visible. It's a very long stretch."

"Not very," Rafael says. "He is on camera when he should have been somewhere else wearing a distinct coat. The jury will be interested."

"I looked up that coat. It's sold in three stores in Manhattan. It's been bought by two hundred people. Are you going to put your detectives on the stand and have them state for the record they spoke to 199 people?"

"Yes," Rafael says. "Because they did."

"Great thing about a coat like that," Fin says, "is no one pays cash. Four grand's a little much to have in your pocket."

"You'd know that if you actually read the discovery documents," Sonny says. Buchanan glares at him again. Sonny meets it with a steady gaze. 

"Mr. Barba, you might remind your detective that passing the bar and being a lawyer are two different things."

"Oh, John, please don't make it that easy to mock you," Rafael replies. Liv finally loses control and fakes a cough. Rafael waves the motion to distract Buchanan from being rude to her. "But if you want me to fling you around chambers with this on Monday, I'm happy to do so."

"I suppose I'll leave you to your…" Buchanan takes them in, clearly trying to look unimpressed, "gathering."

"Great," Rollins says. "Like my momma always says, don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you." She raises her glass in a fake toast. 

Buchanan gives them all one more look, then turns and leaves from the same door he entered. 

"What a bag of dicks," Sonny mutters, and the entire table collapses into laughter. 

"Was that supposed to be a power move?" Liv asks. 

Rafael shrugs. "I have no idea. Something must be up his sleeve if he's trying to distract me with this." He folds the motion and tucks it under the handle of his briefcase. "It's complete nonsense. He'll likely drop a bomb during the argument."

"Well, you could always point out his information is wrong," Sonny says. "Since it's actually 201 people who have that coat."

"Oh my god, you did not," Liv says to Rafael.

"Did you find someone we missed?" Rollins asks Sonny. 

He grins, blushing a little. "No."

"I got it for him," Rafael says before Rollins can start to grill Sonny in earnest. "It's a tragic masterpiece."

"Oh my god, you sugar daddy," Rollins says. 

"Hey!" Sonny replies before Rafael can do more than choke on his drink. "Come on."

"We know how much that coat costs," Fin points out. 

"Yeah, well, I could afford it pretty soon anyway," Sonny says. "I'm about to get a deal on my rent."

"You are not telling them like that," Rafael says. 

"Well, I was about to tell them by jumping off of you having a death wish, so this really isn't worse."

There's no counterargument that Rafael is willing to try. "We're moving in together," he says instead. 

Rollins shrieks. Liv laughs. Fin reaches out and pats Sonny on the arm. "Nice," he says. "That's nice."

"When? Where? How could you not tell me, you asshole?" Rollins asks Sonny.

"Same questions," Liv says to Rafael.

"Easy," Sonny says. "I asked him on our anniversary."

"And I wanted a couple of days to consider it," Rafael adds. "I told him yes this afternoon."

"Holy shit," Rollins says. "You're gonna be a kept man, Carisi." 

"I hope so," Sonny replies, and Rafael would be tempted to dump his beer over his head if he weren't so goddamn endearing.

"Congratulations to you both," Liv says. "Please one of you get video when Buchanan finds out."

"Oh, absolutely," Rafael agrees, and they all raise their glasses in a toast.

**Author's Note:**

> I really like doing prompt fills because I write stuff like this, which isn't my usual bag, but which always ends up very fun.


End file.
